Wonderkid spotted catching flight to London for Arsenal transfer
Arsenal have struck a deal for Georgian wonderkid Andria Bartishvili (Picture: Getty) Georgian youngster Andria Bartishvili has been pictured making the trip to London to complete a transfer move to Arsenal. Bartishvili is currently on loan with Erovnuli Liga outfit Iberia 1999 from Kolkheti 1913 and is considered one of the brightest talents in Georgian football. Though just 17 years of age, the attacking midfielder has already been capped twice by Georgia’s Under-21 side and top teams from across Europe have been closely monitoring his progress. But Arsenal intensified their interest and won the race for Bartishvili’s signature this summer, agreeing a deal that will see the teenager join the club in 2027. Exclusive Premier League previews Get ahead of the start of the season with our weekly football newsletter. Sign up now for free. According to The Athletic, Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta and his assistant Maurizio Micheli were instrumental in coaxing Bartishvili to north London. Renowned for his talent-spotting skills, Micheli is said to have spotted Georgian superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in his previous role as the chief scout at Napoli. Bartishvili, who turns 18 next March, took to Instagram to pass on his gratitude for the kind messages he had received ahead of his move to Arsenal. https://www.instagram.com/p/DZ-wQMzjXKL/?hl=en&img_index=1 ‘A very big thank you to everyone for the congratulations’ – Bartishvili confirmed his move to Arsenal on Instagram ‘A very big thank you to everyone for the congratulations,’ he wrote. Twenty-four hours after confirming his impending switch, Bartishvili was snapped boarding a flight to the UK to undergo a medical with the Gunners. It’s understood Bartishvili will put pen to paper on a five-year contract with the Premier League champions. 📸 EXCL: BARTISHVILI on his way to ARSENAL FC 🔴 — LONDON is waiting for ANDRIA 📞🇬🇧 Andria Bartishvili is currently on his way to London to undergo his medical with AFC. 🩺✈️And then… a five-year contract with the English champions for 17 y.o Georgian Gem 💎✨ pic.twitter.com/WhIafuE7Ak— Geo Team (@Geo__team) September 2, 2026 Liverpool and Juventus were among the clubs credited with an interest in Bartishvili before Arsenal muscled themselves into pole position for the sought-after teen. In June, Georgia head coach Willy Sagnol – the former France and Bayern Munich defender – picked Bartishvili out as a special talent. But Sagnol was keen to stress that talent alone would not be enough to take Bartishvili to the elite levels of the game. {"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Arteta praises Arsenal's maturity in 1-0 win over Aston Villa","contentUrl":"https:\/\/videos.metro.co.uk\/video\/met\/2026\/09\/01\/1030376710448723935\/480x270_MP4_1030376710448723935.mp4","description":"Arteta also stressed the importance of squad depth after Konsa was substituted on for his debut for a Mosquera struggling with an injury.","duration":"T4M26S","height":270,"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/09\/01\/07\/110968591-0-image-a-1_1788244180392.jpg","uploadDate":"2026-09-01T07:29:49+0100","width":480} To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page window.addEventListener('metroVideo:relatedVideosCarouselLoaded', function(data) { if (typeof(data.detail) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel) === 'undefined' || typeof(data.detail.carousel.el_) === 'undefined') { return; } var player = data.detail.carousel.el_; var container = player.closest('.metro-video-player'); var placeholder = container.querySelector('.metro-video-player__up-next-placeholder'); if (placeholder) { container.removeChild(placeholder); container.classList.add('metro-video-player--related-videos-loaded'); } }); ‘I watched the youth team play, Bartishvili is a very talented player,’ Sagnol explained. ‘However, for a talented player to take a step forw
